Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
A Research Division of Carnegie Mellon University

Hunt Institute Archives Text Discovery Platform

Search a large and growing portion of our online collections, including handwritten documents.
PROTOTYPE

This prototype uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, including a vision-language model (VLM) capable of reading handwritten documents as well as typed and printed text, to create searchable transcriptions of digitized materials in the Hunt Institute Archives. This makes it possible to search the textual contents of individual pages, including material that may not be described in the archival catalog.

Use Keyword search for specific words, names, dates, scientific names, or phrases. Try Semantic search (experimental) to describe a topic, question, or kind of material when you do not know the exact wording used in the documents.

About the AI-generated transcriptions

The transcriptions are generated automatically from page images and may contain errors, especially with difficult handwriting, unusual names, multiple languages, image-quality problems, or complex layouts. They are intended primarily as a discovery aid rather than authoritative transcriptions.

Each result provides the generated transcription and links to the original digitized material and associated archival description so that readings can be checked against the source. The transcription workflow uses AI models run locally by the Hunt Institute.

About Keyword and Semantic search

Keyword search is the default and matches the wording in the transcriptions. Results contain all your terms. Use quotes for an exact phrase. Substring matching is supported, so aceae can find plant-family names ending in -aceae.

Semantic search (experimental) is useful when you know what kind of material you are looking for but do not know the words used in the documents. It ranks transcribed passages by similarity of meaning, so relevant results may not contain the exact words in your query.

Semantic queries can be broad research topics, descriptions of activities or relationships, or natural-language questions. For example:

plant collecting and fieldwork in South America medicinal, culinary, or other traditional uses of plants chromosomes and plant classification early herbals and botanical illustrations botanical institutions exchanging plants, seeds, and specimens microscopy and photomicrography in botanical research How did botanists and gardeners introduce plants from one region to another? grafting, budding, and propagation of tropical fruit crops

Semantic search is not a chatbot: a question is used as a search query, and the system returns archival passages that appear conceptually related to it rather than generating an answer or summary. Short descriptions and ordinary research questions generally work better than lists of disconnected keywords. Quotation marks have no special meaning in Semantic mode. Cross-language matching may work in some cases, but it should not be treated as translation.

Keyword and Semantic search are complementary. Keyword search lets you require particular wording; Semantic search can surface differently worded passages about the same subject. Depending on the research question, trying both can reveal different useful material.

Open a result: use the prominent page-and-transcription link to see the metadata, PDF, and full transcription. Keyword-search terms are highlighted in the transcription.

Archives Collections Database (ArchivesSpace): the Collection, Item/Folder, and Digital Object links open the corresponding archival records. Collection-level dates describe the collection as a whole, not necessarily the specific item or page.

If a PDF does not load: on the detail page, use the Digital Object link, click “Go to file” in ArchivesSpace, and navigate to the page number shown here.

Current limitations
  • Automated transcriptions can contain missing or incorrect text or unintended repetition. Difficult handwriting, image quality, unusual layouts, and multiple languages can reduce accuracy. Always consult the original page image when an exact reading matters.
  • Semantic search remains experimental. Its rankings are an additional discovery aid, not a complete or definitive set of relevant results, and highly ranked pages can sometimes be only broadly related.
  • This is an active prototype. Search coverage, transcriptions, functionality, and the interface may continue to change as additional archival material is processed and the system is improved.

← Back to results

Page 98 · DO #382 · 204_Popenoe_Bx29FF381r

Collection
Wilson Popenoe (1892–1975) family papers
Item/Folder
Whitman, Edmund S. and Sigrid, 15 May 1957–12 April 1973
Digital Object
DO #382, page 98
Collection-level dates
1882–1975
Open PDF at page 98 ↗

Page transcription

- 3 -
BANANAS

I believe you are correct in giving your first attention to the commercial possibilities of banana production for export. In the Chinandega region you have some of the finest banana soils in the world. There are some good soils in the Rivas region and the Brasiles region, but I do not believe they can compare with the soils of Chinandega. I think that area with proper cultural attention, would 600 to per hectare per annum easily produce 800 bunches if cultivated really efficiently. It should be easy to produce on these soils bunches weighing from 60 to 75 pounds each.

Good irrigation will be necessary and you have this in mind. Sigatoka is present in the area but is doing no harm up to now. When you begin to cultivate Gros Michel on an extensive scale, you will probably have to spend money on some means of control. You have no reports to indicate that Panama disease is present in this region and are taking all precautions to keep it out. I am not much worried about the presence of the banana weevil or borer, Cosmopolites sordidus; it is present in many countries and has never constituted a major problem, neither has the nematode. The things to watch are Panama disease, Sigatoka, and Moko disease.

You have the advantage that Dr. Cross and Mr. Bowman are both available and are experienced banana men. You will need one full-time man before long, to watch the plantings, advise the planters regarding propagation and pruning and so on. The bunches we saw in the Chinamega area were good except that they were somewhat short-fingered; this probably means poor irrigation.

I believe you should start at once to see how you are going to sell your fruit. One of the big companies would be the starting place; if they will not obligate themselves, then you will have to see what can be done. I think this point is vital; unless you have a guaranteed outlet for your fruit you may get into real trouble.